Needle holder for endoscope, suture set, and suture system

Abstract

A needle holder includes: a flexible sheath portion which is capable of being inserted into an instrument channel of a flexible endoscope; a first grasping member which is rotatably coupled with a distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion; and a second grasping member which is provided in the distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion. In a state where a curved needle is grasped by a first grasping surface of the first grasping member and a second grasping surface of the second grasping member, the second grasping surface inclines such that a grasped region of the curved needle that is grasped by the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface is positioned between a distal end of the second grasping member and a needle tip of the curved needle in a direction of a center axis of the second grasping member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A needle holder comprising:
 a flexible sheath portion which is longitudinal, flexible, and capable of being inserted into an instrument channel of a flexible endoscope; 
 a first grasping member which has a first grasping surface and is rotatably coupled with a distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion; and a second grasping member which has a second grasping surface and is provided in the distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion, wherein:
 the second grasping surface inclines from a proximal end of the second grasping surface toward a distal end side of the second grasping surface, 
 the distal end of the second grasping surface is closer to the first grasping member than the proximal end of the second grasping surface, and in a state where a grasped region of a curved needle is grasped by the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface, a needle tip of the curved needle positions closer to a proximal end of the flexible sheath portion than the grasped region of the curved needle, and 
 the first and second grasping surfaces are flat surfaces, wherein the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface sandwich the curved needle. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The needle holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the second grasping surface inclines in a range of 5° or more and 20° or less from a center axis of the flexible sheath portion. 
     
     
       3. The needle holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the second grasping member includes a projection portion that projects from a distal end of the second grasping surface to a first grasping member side. 
     
     
       4. The needle holder according to  claim 1 , wherein the second grasping member includes a groove part that extends from a distal end of the second grasping surface toward a proximal end of the second grasping surface, and a width of the groove part is larger than a width of the first grasping surface in a direction perpendicular to a center axis of the flexible sheath portion. 
     
     
       5. A suture set comprising; the needle holder of  claim 1 ; and a curved needle that is grasped by the needle holder, wherein the curved needle includes a flat portion which is at least a portion of an outer circumference of the curved needle and is formed flatly in a cross-section perpendicular to a center axis extending along an arc of the curved needle, and in a state where the grasped region of the curved needle is grasped by the first grasping surface of the first grasping member and the second grasping surface of the second grasping member, an orientation of the curved needle is restricted such that the needle tip is positioned closer to a proximal end side than the flat portion by contacting the flat portion to at least one of the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface. 
     
     
       6. A suture system comprising; the needle holder of  claim 1 ; and an endoscope that includes: an instrument channel into which the flexible sheath portion is inserted, and an imager that is configured to capture at least the first grasping member and the second grasping member among the needle holder projected from a distal end of the instrument channel, wherein in a state where the curved needle is grasped between the first grasping member and the second grasping member, the second grasping surface inclines with an angle in which an orientation of the curved needle is configured to restrict such that a first straight-line distance from the imager to a center portion of the curved needle is equivalent to a second straight-line distance from the imager to a needle tip of the curved needle. 
     
     
       7. A suture set comprising:
 a needle holder including:
 a flexible sheath portion which is longitudinal, flexible, and capable of being inserted into an instrument channel of a flexible endoscope; 
 a first grasping member which has a first grasping surface and is rotatably coupled with a distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion; and a second grasping member which has a second grasping surface and is provided in the distal end portion of the flexible sheath portion, wherein: 
 the second grasping surface inclines from a proximal end of the second grasping surface toward a distal end side of the second grasping surface, 
 the distal end of the second grasping surface is closer to the first grasping member than the proximal end of the second grasping surface, and in a state where a grasped region of a curved needle is grasped by the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface, a needle tip of the curved needle positions closer to a proximal end of the flexible sheath portion than the grasped region of the curved needle, 
 
 a curved needle that is grasped by the needle holder including:
 a flat portion that is at least a portion of an outer circumference of the grasped region of the curved needle and is formed flatly with in a cross-section perpendicular to a center axis extending along an arc of the curved needle, the flat portion including a first flat portion and a second flat portion, and 
 a needle tip that is positioned closer to a proximal end of the flexible sheath portion than a flat portion in a state where the first flat portion and the second flat portion are grasped by the first grasping surface and the second grasping surface. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The needle holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the second grasping surface inclines in a range of 5° or more and 20° or less from a center axis of the flexible sheath portion. 
     
     
       9. The needle holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the second grasping member includes a projection portion that projects from a distal end of the second grasping surface to the first grasping member side. 
     
     
       10. The needle holder according to  claim 7 , wherein the second grasping member includes a groove part that extends from a distal end of the second grasping surface toward a proximal end of the second grasping surface, and a width of the groove part is larger than a width of the first grasping surface in a direction perpendicular to a center axis of the flexible sheath portion. 
     
     
       11. The suture system of  claim 7 , comprising an endoscope that includes: an instrument channel into which the flexible sheath portion is inserted, and an imager that is configured to capture at least the first grasping member and the second grasping member among the needle holder projected from a distal end of the instrument channel, wherein in a state where the curved needle is grasped between the first grasping member and the second grasping member, the second grasping surface inclines with an angle in which an orientation of the curved needle is configured to restrict such that a first straight-line distance from the imager to a center portion of the curved needle is equivalent to a second straight-line distance from the imager to a needle tip of the curved needle.